PORT MORESBY (ABC / PNG Loop / International Federation of Journalists / Pacific Media Watch): The National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea has been forced to hire a private security company to protect staff after three female staff members were kidnapped and two raped, according to ABC News.
The three staff, a journalist, a programme producer and a cleaner, were kidnapped from the broadcaster's staff bus by armed men on Monday night and assaulted for two hours.
NBC managing director Memafu Kapera was reported as saying there had been a security guard on the bus. But from now on the broadcaster would hire private security guards to escort staff home after their shifts.
PNG Loop reported today that staff had held a protest meeting and downed tools for the day, saying they had warned management of the dangers facing them for years but had been ignored.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) issued a statement today, saying it was "deeply outraged" by the abduction.
"While one woman escaped, the two remaining women were raped in the shocking attack," the IFJ said.
The IFJ condemned the attack near a settlement area in Port Moresby and called for swift and decisive action by the PNG police and government. It also called on PNG media companies to act to immediately ensure the safety and security of female staff.
According to PNG Loop, Kapera told NBC staff: "What happened was very unfortunate and was out of our control. But your safety is of paramount importance. We will engage a security firm to provide escort services for late night drop offs."
Kapera said the management had visited the two female workers in hospital and would assist with providing counselling for the two workers.
“I feel for them and we will do whatever we can to assist the two workers recover,” he said.
Condemning the attack, PNG Loop editor Titi Gabi, a leading media freedom advocate, said: "The safety and security issues facing women journalists on the job, as well as getting to and from home, are a huge concern for women media workers in Papua New Guinea, where sexual and all other forms of violence are a major obstacle to their ability to do their jobs well.”
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